• Hebrew
  • Participation by invitation only

Eli Hurvitz Conference on Economy and Society 2019

9:00 – 9:15 Registration

9:15 – 9:25 Yohanan Plesner, President, Israel Democracy Institute

9:30 – 13:00 Morning Session | The Next Government’s Economic Strategy: Where are we Headed?
Chair: Prof. Eugene Kandel, Hebrew University of Jerusalem; CEO Start-Up Nation Central

Prof. Avi Simhon, Head of the National Economic Council, and the Prime Minister’s Advisor on Economic Affairs
Shaul Meridor, Director of Budgets, Ministry of Finance
Roni Hizkiyahu, Accountant General, Ministry of Finance
Anat Guetta, Chair, Israel Securities Authority
Dr. Ami Appelbaum, Chair, Israel Innovation Authority
Heliodoro Temprano Arroyo,
 Adviser, Directorate General for Economic and Financial Affairs, European Commission

11:00 – 11:30 Recess

Opening the Discussion:
Prof Karnit Flug,
Vice-President for Research, Israel Democracy Institute
Shraga Brosh,
Chair of the Directorate of Business Organizations
Michael Eisenberg,
Joint Managing Partner, Aleph Venture Capital

Plenary Discussion 

12:40 – 13:00 MK Benny Gantz, Chair of the Bluen and White Party and former IDF Chief of Staff

13:00 – 13:20 Prof. Amir Yaron, Governor, Bank of Israel

13:30 – 14:20 Lunch

14:20 – 15:30 Afternoon Session | Easing the Regulatory Burden – Is it Possible? 
Chair: Daphna Aviram-Nitzan, Director of the Center for Governance and the Economy, Israel Democracy Institute

A Regulatory Roadmap for Investors: Implementation on the GroundOz Katz, Head of the Industries Administration, Ministry of the Economy and Industry

Trust-based Regulation: Declarations as a Tool for Easing the Bureaucratic and Regulatory BurdenDr. Eyal Pe’er, Israel Democracy Institute; Hebrew University of Jerusalem

Discussion:
Adv. Meir Levin, Deputy Attorney General for Fiscal and Economic Matters
Oren Cohen, Deputy Director General, Division of Governance and Social Affairs, Prime Minister’s Office
Dr. Ron Tomer, Owner, Unipharm
Dore Bloch, Budget Division, Ministry of Finance

15:30 – 15:50 Recess

15:50 – 18:30 Afternoon Session | “Israel 2050: Moving towards a Thriving Economy in a Sustainable Environment”— the Strategic Process
Chair: Daphna Aviram-Nitzan, Director of the Center for Governance and the Economy, Israel Democracy Institute

The Israel 2050 Plan
Shuli Nezer, Senior Deputy Director General for Industry, Ministry of Environmental Protection
Galit Cohen, Senior Deputy Director General for Policy Planning and Strategy, Ministry of Environmental Protection

The Plan’s Effects on Economic Growth 
Prof. Nathan Sussman, Israel Democracy Institute; Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Dr. Ruslana Rachel Palatnik, Chair, theMax Stern Yezreel Valley College; Haifa University

The Plan’s Impact on Israeli Society
Daphna Aviram-Nitzan

Directors General in Discussion
Led by: Prof. Eugene Kandel

Environmental Protection: Guy Samet, Director General, Ministry of Environmental Protection
Energy Economics: Ehud Adiri, Director General, Ministry of Energy 
Cities and Buildings: Dalit Zilber, Director General, Israel Planning Administration
Industry and Waste: Shay Rinsky, Director General, Ministry of the Economy and Industry

Minister Dr. Yuval Steinitz, Ministry of Energy

Opening the Discussion:
Sagit Datan, 
Head of the Growth Division, Israel Innovation Authority
Prof. Michel Strawczynski, Director of the Research Department, Bank of Israel 
Dr. Eli Abramov, Chair, Chemical, Pharmaceutical, and Environmental Protection Division, Manufacturers’ Association of Israel
Victor Weis, Executive Director, Heschel Center for Sustainability
Ghaida Rinawie Zoabi, Executive Director, ACTO— Academic Center for Impact Investing & Entrepreneurship, College of Management Academic Studies
Harel Shlissel, Budget Division, Ministry of Finance
Chen Altshuler, Head of Innovation Strategy, Altshuler Shaham
Chaim Hurvitz, Economic Social Forum

Plenary Discussion

18:30 Summing Up, Prof. Eugene Kandel

9:00 – 9:30 Registration

9:30 – 11:30 Morning session | Human Capital in Israel: Narrowing the Labor Productivity Gap as a Key to Reducing Income Disparities
Chair: Prof. Karnit Flug, Vice-President for Research, Israel Democracy Institute

Upgrading Workers' Competencies as a Tool for Reducing Social Gaps | Prof. Karnit Flug

The New Campus: The Council for Higher Education and the Planning and Budgeting Committee Prepare for a Changing Reality |
Prof. Yaffa Zilbershatz, Chairwoman of the Planning and Budgeting Committee, the Council for Higher Education 

Does the Higher Education System Offer a Solution to what the Market Requires?Dr. Eitan Regev, Israel Democracy Institute

An Alternative to Higher Education? | Roei Deutsch, CEO, Jolt

Government officials discussion
led by Prof. Karnit Flug

Mordechai Elisha, Director of the Labor Division, Ministry of Labor
Michal Fink, Deputy Director General for Strategy, Ministry of Economy & Industry
Itzik Daniel, Budget Division, Ministry of Finance

Opening Discussion:
MK Gila Gamliel, Minister for Social Equality
Yossi Alkovi, President of the Union of Craftsman and Industrial Workers
Dita Bronicki,
 Founder, Ormat Technologies
Shlomi Yehiav, Chairman, The National Union of Israeli Students

The Labor Market and Productivity: A Look into the FutureShira Greenberg, Chief Economist, Ministry of Finance

Plenary Discussion

11:15 – 11:45 Recess

11:45 – 12:15 How Do We Adapt Our Labor Agreements to the 21st Century?
Chair: Prof. Yotam Margalit, Senior Fellow, Israel Democracy Institute; Tel Aviv University

Survey of Equilibrium and Flexibility in the Israeli Labor Market | Daphna Aviram-Nitzan, Director of the Center for Governance and the Economy, Israel Democracy Institute

Labor Agreements in the Public ServiceKobi Bar-Nathan, Director of Salary and Employment Agreements, Ministry of Finance

Labor Agreements in the Business SectorItzik Saig, Chair, Employers’ Mutual Assistance Fund, Directorate of Business Organizations

Gearing Up in Labor Unions | Shay Biran, CEO of Economics Division, The Histadrut (General Organization of Workers)

12:15 – 14:00 Afternoon Session | The Labor Market Gears up for an Aging Population
Chair: Yohanan Plesner, President, Israel Democracy Institute

Promoting Policies to Encourage Employment among Older Adults (age 50+)Prof. Yotam Margalit, Senior Fellow, Israel Democracy Institute; Tel Aviv University

Opening Discussion:
Avi Cohen, 
Director General, ministry of Social Equality
Prof. Michel Strawczynski, Director of the Research Department, Bank of Israel 
Yulia Eitan,Head of the Employment Administration for Special Populations, Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs and Social Services
Yossi Heymann, Executive Director, JDC-Eshel
MK Meirav Cohen, Blue and White Party
Lirit Serphos, Senior Department Head, Division of Governance and Social Affairs, Prime Minister’s Office
Yael Agmon, Budget Division, Ministry of Finance

Plenary Discussion

Summary of the session: Prof. Karnit Flug

14:00 – 15:00 Lunch

15:00 – 16:30 Afternoon Session | The National Insurance Institute Prepares for an Aging Population
Chair: Prof. Eugene Kandel, Hebrew University of Jerusalem; CEO, Start-Up Nation Central

Bolstering the National Insurance Institute’s Financial Resilience Prof. Eytan Sheshinski, Israel Democracy Institute

Opening the Discussion: 
Meir Shpigler, Director General, National Insurance Institute
Alon Messer, Deputy Budget Director for Welfare Matters, Ministry of Finance
Dr. Adi Brender, Head of the Macroecomic and Policy Division, Research Department, Bank of Israel 
MK Oded Forer, Yisrael Beitenu Party
Prof. Daniel Gottlieb, Deputy Director General for Research and Planning, National Insurance Institute

Plenary Discussion

16:30 Conference Summary, Prof. Eugene Kandel